Not every parade has a man dressed in a hospital gown running down the street raving about how hot Sarah Palin is. Then again, not every place is like Berkeley.

Thousands of people attended the "How Berkeley Can You Be?" Parade and Festival, which showcased how creative-or rather, how "Berkeley," community members could be.

The parade, which took place along University Avenue, led into a festival in Civic Center Park.

The event drew about 15,000 people throughout the day, said Justin Katz, program director of Epic Arts, a cultural group and one of the main organizers.

The event was founded by University Avenue Association member John Solomon in 1996 in order to celebrate the avenue and promote its businesses.